1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sport boot having, in a conventional way, an external sole on which an upper is mounted, demarcating a central introduction zone for the foot in relation to an opening made on its front upper part that is demarcated by laterally opposed quarters, on which a lace or cable forming two lacing portions and connecting the quarters by means of return elements, such as eyelets, loops, or hooks, is susceptible to act by tightening.
The invention relates to a boot of this type also having an immobilizing device or a clamp connected to the lacing portions near their free ends.
2. Description of Background and Material Information
The presence of a clamp constitutes an advantage known in itself in the sense that it allows a rapid tightening by traction on the laces and an immediate immobilizing by displacing the clamp towards a clamping position.
Such clamps are particularly interesting for racing conditions since they guarantee a constant tightening and overcome problems of ill-timed loosening that occurs with conventional knot tightening systems.
Nevertheless, if clamps bring a sure advantage to the field of sport boots, they induce, in other respects, a major drawback relating to the ends of the lacing portions, formed by the lace, that become free beyond the clamp and present a real danger in that they represent a possibility of hooking or becoming attached to something when walking or during any sport practice, if their storing is not ensured in one way or another.
Thus, clamps are known which allow storing the lace ends on the very inside of the body constituting the storing element, but this leads to designing an assembly that is relatively bulky, heavy, and not very efficient, capable of constituting a discomfort when practicing certain sports.
German Utility Patent G 88 10 872.4 calls for a device for storing lace ends or, more specifically, the loops formed by the ends when tied in a knot, constituted of a folding flap arranged in this zone and closing on a corresponding part via self-gripping means arranged on both sides and acting reciprocally.
Such a storing device has the drawback, due to the very presence of the self-gripping means, of requiring special laces that do not catch thereon.
Furthermore, the device described in the aforementioned utility patent only relates to a boot with laces that does not have a clamping device, and therefore which is not adapted to the storing of a bulkier lace clamp which cannot cooperate with the self-gripping means. In fact, the object of this storing device is to avoid the loosening of the knot, a problem which does not occur in a clamp tightening system.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the aforementioned lace clamps, and especially to provide an improved system for protecting the clamp and lace ends.
To this end, it relates to a sport boot having an external sole on which an upper, demarcating a central introduction zone for the foot, is mounted, and having a lacing zone constituted of a lace or cable forming two lacing portions that connect return elements of the lacing zone together through a predetermined course, and which are attached near their free ends to an immobilizing device or clamp, wherein it has, in the vicinity of the foot introduction zone, at the end of the lacing zone, a storing pocket capable of receiving the free ends of the lacing portions, extending beyond the clamp after the quarters are tightened, as well as the clamp itself.
The present invention thus allows completely separating the functions of clamping ensured by the clamp and of xe2x80x9canti-hookingxe2x80x9d storing ensured by the pocket, and therefore allows ensuring a perfect safety by completely protecting the clamping system and preventing the ill-timed hooking of the free lacing portions.